Display-rack.



No, 632,065. Patented Aug. 29, I899.

A. E. SCHULTZ.

DISPLAY RACK. (Application filed Apr. 22, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Shet (No Model.)

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No. 632,065., Patented Aug. 29, I899."

A. E. SCHULTZ.

' DISPLAY RACK.

(Application filed Apr. 22, l899.|

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No ModeL) Tn: xonms Farms :0. mom-undo wunmmou, ay 0.

1 UNITED STATES:

ARTHUR n. SCHULTZ,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF OLNEY, ILLINOIS.

DISPLAY-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,065, dated August29, 1899,

Application filed April'22,1899.

To all whom it ma concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. SCHULTZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Olney, in the county of Richland andState of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Racks; and I- dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in display devices suchas are adapted for use in displaying wares of various kinds for sale;and the object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich shall be of a simple, cheap, and compact construction especiallywell adapted for holding laces, ribbons and the like, the goods being sobold in the device that each pattern or style will be properly displayedand will be readily re-. movable without disturbingthe variousotherpatterns displayed in the device.

The inventionconsists in certain novel fea-. tures of the construction,combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improveddisplay device, whereby certain important advantages are attained andthe device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted andmore convenient for use than various other similar devices heretoforeemployed, all as will behereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in theclaims.

- In the accompanyingdrawings, which serve to illustrate my invention,Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a device constructed according tomy invention, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken transversely throughthe device in the plane indicated by the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aview showing the inner grooved face of one of the side pieces of thedevice. Fig.4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken horizontallythrough one of the rack-supporting arms of the frame and showing thearrangement of the springs for holding the racks in position on theframe. Fig. 5 is a side view showing an instrument for removing theracks from the device.

Serial No. 714,143. (No model.)

As seen in the drawings, the frame of the device is formed of aplurality of similar par allel side pieces 10, there being, as seenherein, three of said side pieces, although it will be obvious that agreater number of these may be employed where more than two series ofracks are combined in the device or that only two of the side pieces maybe employed where but a single series of racks are provided. The sidepieces are held in position and bracedat their upper and lower parts bymeans of transverse braces 11.

The side pieces 10 are each formed with a central body portion 12, fromwhich extends upwardly a series of arms 13, increasing gradually inheight from the front to the back of the device, the rearmost arms 14being pro* vided at their upper ends with the upper brace 11 of theframe. The arms 13 are separated by spaces 15, and the upper ends ofsaid arms are enlarged to form heads 16, in the inner surfaces of whichare provided dovetail slots 17 to receive pivot-pins 18, protrudingcentrally from opposite sides of the racks 19 and having enlarged endsengaged in said slots 17, said racks being in the nature of openrectangular frames, as clearly seen in Fig. 2, the side rails of saidracks being extended at their ends to form projections or lugs 20 tohold in place the goods wound on the racks between said projections, aswill be readily understood. The enlarged ends of the pivot-pins 18 will,by engagement with the dovetail slots, serve to hold the racks securelyin place for movement along said slots.

The slots 17 are provided with curvedparts, which, as seen at 21 in Fig.3, extend above the end portions of said slots in which the pivot-pins18 are normally seated, and said curved portions form means to hold thepivotpins normally engaged in their seats at the extremities of theslots. The curved portions 21 also connect with vertical dovetail slots22, formed in the arms 13 and extending down into communication withdovetail slots 23 in the portions 12 of the side pieces 10, said slots12 extending rearwardly and converging at the back part of the frame, asshown in Fig. At the back part of the frame each slot 23 is formed withan upwardly-extending portion 25, open at the back of the frame topermit the withdrawal of the racks 19 when de sired and extending at anangle to the main part of-said slot 23, so as to form a seat 24, whereinthe pivot-pin 18 of the rack 19 is adapted to be held at the back of thedevice to permit the rack to be rotated in unwinding the goodstherefrom, so as to avoid the removal of the racks entirely from theframein making a sale.

To hold the racks 19 in vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, springs26 are employed, secured, as seen in the drawings, to the lower parts ofthe arms 13, so as to project across the spaces in position to engagethe side rails of the racks at their lower parts, as-shown in Figs. 1,2, and 4. The springs 26 are bent at their extremities, as seen at 2'7,to form stops to prevent forward movement of the lower ends of theracks, and in said springs to receive the edges of the racks 19 when innormal position, as shown in Fig. at.

For withdrawing the racks from the frame an instrument such as shown inFig. 5 is preferably employed. This instrument comprises a handle 30, onthe end of which is pivoted a part 31, having jaws 32, adapted to beslipped up under the lower edge of the respective racks, the instrumentbeing inserted beneath the racks, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig 3.A spring 33 connects the pivoted part 31 to the handle 30 and serves tohold said part 31 normally withits jaws 32 upturned, as shown in Fig. 5,but permitting said part to move pivotally in withdrawing the racks.

' In withdrawing the racks from the frame theinstrument is inserted asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and its jaws 32 are applied under therack tobe removed, the upward pressure under the rack serving to liftthe same, its pivot-pins 18 passing out of their seats at the ends ofslots 17 and up along the upwardly-curved parts 21 of the slots in thearms 13 of the frame. The rack is then lowered, its pivot-pins passingdown along the vertical slots 22 in arms 13 and into the slots 23 in thebody portions 12 of the side pieces of the frame, the spring connectionbetween the pivoted part 31 and the handle 30 of the instrument servingto permit a certain degree of movement pivotally of the rack in passingunder the other racks behind it, as indicated at 00 in Fig. 3. The rackis then drawn rearwardly, and its pivot-pins 18 are seated in the seats24 at the back part of the frame, as seen at 3 in Fig. 3, so as to holdthe rack in position to be rotated to facilitate the removal of thedesired length of material therefrom without necessitating the completewithdrawal of the rack from the frame, but when desired-as, for example,when the goods are exhausted from the rackit may be entirely withdrawnfrom the frame to permit it to be rewound by simply moving thepivot-pins 18 up the inclined rear ends 25 of the slots 23.

From the above description it will be seen that the improved displaydevice is of an extremely simple and inexpensive construction and isespecially well adapted for holding goods to be displayed in windows andshowcases, owing to the compact form in which the goods are held and theconvenience with which they may be removed, when desired, for making asale,and it will also be obvious from the above description that thedevice is capable of some modification without material departure fromthe principles and spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do notwish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form andarrangement of the several parts herein set forth. 7

Having thus described my invention I claim-,

1. In a display device, the combination of a frame having side piecesformed with series of guides each of which is extended downwardly andterminates in a seat, a series of racks having engagement with therespective seats and adapted to be moved along said guides and means forholding said racks in an erect position when engaged with said seats,substantially as set forth.

2. In a display device, the combination of a frame having side piecesformed with series of guides each comprising an upwardly-extended parthaving a curved end portionthe extremity of Whichis extended downwardlyto form a seat, and a-series of racks having engagement with therespective seats and adapted to be moved along said guides,substantially as set forth.

3. In a display device, the combination of a frame havingside piecesformed with series of guides each comprising a horizontal part and anupwardly-extendingpart having a seat, and a series of racks havingengagement with the respective seats and adapted to be moved along saidguides, the upwardly-extending parts of the guides being alincd witheach other and graduated in height from the front to the back of theframe, substantially as set forth.

4. In a display device, the combination of a frame having side piecesformed with seats, racks having pivot-pins engaging said seats, andguides, the forward ends of which are arranged above and adapted forcommunication with said seats and which extend downwardly and have theirlower ends extended horizontally and along which said racks are IIOadapted to be moved, substantially-as set forth.

5. Ina display device, the combination of a frame having side piecesformed with series of guides each comprising a horizontal part having aseat at its rear part and an upwardlyextending portion having at itsupper part a depending portion formed with a seat at its extremity, anda series of racks having engagement with said guides and adapted to beheld in either of said seats, substantially as set forth.

6. In a display device, the combination of a frame having side piecesformed with series of guides each comprising a horizontal portion havinga seat at its back part and having beyond said seat an upturned openend, and an upwardly-extending portion having a seat at its upper part,and a series of racks having engagement with said guides and adapted tobe held in either of said seats, substantially as set forth.

7. In a display device, the combination of a frame having side piecesformed with series of guides each provided with a seat, a series ofracks held in said seats and adapted to be moved along said guides, andelastic means carried by the frame for engaging the racks to hold thesame in vertical position, substantially as set forth.

8. In a display device, the combination of a frame havin g side piecesformed with series of dovetail guides each provided with a seat, and aseries of racks having pivot-pins formed with enlarged end portions tofit and slide along said guides, substantially as set forth.

9. In a display device, the combination of a frame having side piecesformed with parallel guides each extended downwardly and terminating ina seat at its forward part and also extended downwardly to form a seatat its rear portion, and a rack adapted for movement between the sidepieces of the frame and provided with projecting pins at opposite sidesto engage and slide along said guides and to engage and turn in saidseats, substantially as set forth.

10. In a display device, the combination of a frame having side piecesformed with series of guides each comprising a horizontal portion havinga seat at its rear part and an upwardly-extending portion having a seatat its upper part, and a series of racks having engagement with saidguides and adapted to be held in either of said seats, theupwardly-extending parts of the guides being alined with each other andbeing graduated in height from the front to the back of the frame andthe horizontal parts of the guides being arranged to converge at therear part of the frame, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witn esses.

ARTHUR E. SCHULTZ. Witnesses ROBERT N. STOTLER, ADEN KNOPH.

